Comments on: Lessons for coup makers?

By: lydieboka

lydieboka — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:22:51 +0000

It shows that if you are “strategic” enough (either because of Al qaeda or oil, other natural resources, competition with China), you may get away with it even with questionable elections. Aziz removed a democratically-elected president, held elections which he won and was quickly recognised as the president of Mauritania by the AU and then the EU, and the USA. Would it have been the case without the threat of Al qaeda? The lesson is that not only you need elections, but for them to be quickly accepted, you need something bigger and Aziz played the right card from the beginning (fight against terrorism).

By: Aftab68

Aftab68 — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:09:27 +0000

I hope all Democratic Forces will also look into the affairs in Pakistan as apprehensions has been shown by many of some Un-Democratic Forces now in play against the elected Government. This standard must be for all countries where ever they exist. I personally believe that only Democracy is the best way to rule a country. The best judges are People not other forces who ever they may be.

By: Anon86

Anon86 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:59:57 +0000

To those contemplating a future in international politics, the golden rule is clear:

“Whatever you do, do it quick”.

Whether you plan a scam election, a coup, a short war, a missile launch or a treaty breach, you always follow that rule. Short and sweet.

The international community may nash their teeth and condemn, but their attention span is short. And within a few weeks, whatever you did will be old news.

Look at the Lebanon and Gaza wars. Russia and Ossetia. China and the satellite. Iran and the missiles. Pakistan and the border provinces.

Short and sweet. And within a month afterwards, nobody cares. Least of all the media.

But keep the event going on for longer then a month and people will notice. Like a bad fish, the stench gets everyone’s attention and will stick to you for years.

By: AlyKhanSatchu

AlyKhanSatchu — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:16:00 +0000

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose? The Mauritania lesson seems to be that if you are Fighting Terror [Al Qaeda] You can do a Karzai?

I think the President has in fact established a greater granularity in the US Foreign Policy but lets be Frank, Camara and his Cabal are so far beyond the Pale, They are off the charts.

The Problem for the US is that China and Hu’s Dollars has given some recalcitrant Regimes an Option that they did not have before and US Foreign Policy in Africa has to work around but probably with the Chinese Elephant. Sudan is the next Place where the Obama doctrine will face a very stern Test.

Aly-Khan Satchu
http://www.rich.co.ke